Gaming machines, such as slot machines, video poker machines and the like, have been a cornerstone of the gaming industry for many years. Generally, the popularity of such machines with players is dependent on the likelihood (or perceived likelihood) of winning money at the machine and the intrinsic entertainment value of the machine relative to other available gaming options. Where the available gaming options include a number of competing machines and the expectation of winning on each machine is roughly the same (or believed to be the same), players are most likely to be attracted to the most entertaining and exciting machines. Shrewd operators constantly strive to employ the most entertaining and exciting machines available, because such machines attract frequent play and hence increase profitability to the operator.
One method of attracting players to gaming machines is by providing a visual indicator of a potential payout or a visual indicator of a winning outcome. For example, slot machines have reels with a plurality of symbols displayed thereon that rotate to align the symbols relative to a pay line according to one of a plurality of different outcomes. As the spinning reels slowly come to rest, the player begins to anticipate the outcome, which increases the entertainment provided to the player of the gaming machine.
Other methods of attracting players to gaming machines is by providing a bonus game in addition to a main game. Generally, bonus games provide a greater expectation of winning than the basic game alone and may be accompanied with more attractive or unusual features including visual features, audible features, or both. Because the visual payout indicator and the bonus game concepts have tremendous advantages in terms of player appeal and excitement relative to other known games, and because such games are attractive to both players and operators, there is a continuing need to develop gaming machines with new types of bonus games, visual indicators, or both, to satisfy the demands of players and operators. The present invention is directed to satisfying this need.